[spam][crazy][wrong] xkcd

[k]

2021-12-27

Female Presenter [pointing to visual of stats charts]: "If you don't
control for confounding variables, they'll mask the real effect and
mislead you."

Female Presenter [raising finger at audience]: "But if you for too
_many_ variables, your choices will shape the data, and you'll mislead
yourself."

Female Presenter [arms dropped]: "Somewhere in the middle is the sweet
spot where you do both, making you double wrong." "Stats are a farce
and truth is unknowable.  See you next week!"

----

There is a _lot_ of commentary to be made here.

It's notable that the expression in the comic is correct, and is a
trick.  In my opinion.

It's notable that xkcds are different now, than they used to be.

It's notable that a sudden change in my life resulted in me regularly
visiting xkcd and no other webcomics.

The topic of this webcomic feels similar to something I think about a
lot.  There's a big chance I would say that regardless of what it is.

The concept of choices shaping the data deserves a statistical analysis.